About three years ago, Todd Schmauss was working through life as a personal trainer and volunteer assistant wrestling coach.

With a history in wrestling stretching back to his well-known hometown, Schmauss always had confidence when he was competing, and he felt he could keep up with almost anyone.

So, it struck him when he began to notice some MMA coverage of an old college teammate, Joe Vedepo, who already had a growing list of fights and made two UFC appearances in 2009.

“I’m thinking, ‘I used to throw Joey Vedepo around every day,'” Schmauss told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) with a laugh. “He knew who was boss. He knew if he took me on, I would have him in the exercise bikes.”

Seeing his old teammate made Schmauss think about his own possible career. And so, without any MMA-specific training and using his wrestling skills, Schmauss called up Midwest Cage Championships and asked for a fight. Three years later, he’s still fighting.

The 32-year-old Iowa resident scored a first-round knockout victory against Jesse Lund at the Aug. 3 MCC show to run his record to 3-0. Hoping to quickly climb in the ranks after beginning the sport relatively late, Schmauss had asked MCC to put him up against the most notable fighter they could. The 205-pounder struck down Lund, who had a solid 10-4 record, to continue his optimism.

Coming from a family of wrestlers bred in Cresco, Iowa, where the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame is located, Schmauss had always been skilled on the mat. Now, he’s combining his personal-training job, volunteering with the Luther College wrestling team, and traveling the hour or so to Rochester, Minn., for more specific training to build a career he hopes can soon take off.

“My last fight was a big one, I just told them I wanted to face the best of the best, and I took him on,” Schmauss said. “He was their five-time defending champ, and I controlled it from the get-go. That was big for me.”

Wrestling history

The Schmauss family has a significant history in wrestling in their hometown. Several uncles were skilled high school wrestlers and went on to compete at Iowa State.

One of three brothers, Schmauss got an education from the family.

“One of my brothers is four years older, and I used to take on him and his buddies,” Schmauss said. “I was always trying to find bigger guys to go against.”

When his turn came to join the Cresco wrestling team, he went 121-18. Frustrated by his lack of a state championship as a senior, Schmauss went on to Iowa Central Community College to continue his career. As a freshman, he was an All-American at 184 pounds while replacing the school’s previous 184-pounder, Cain Velasquez.

He moved on to Upper Iowa and the University of Iowa, but his career at the latter was hampered by a reconstructive knee surgery.

“I wrestled some big guys, some very well-known guys,” he said. “I knew I had the potential to wrestle with anybody.”

After finishing his career, he was asked to help coach the Upper Iowa team, which started him on a path of coaching that still continues. He will even take on Luther wrestlers to help his own training.

But he didn’t consider MMA as a possible career until he noticed his old college friend and teammate having success. If Vedepo could be successful, he thought, then why couldn’t he give MMA a try? The decision was as simple as that.

“I knew I was a very talented and athletic guy; I just needed to learn some things after I got started,” he said. “I feel like I’m only getting better.”

Unique training

The first time Schmauss was set to fight, he said he walked into the building at almost 240 pounds, and his scheduled opponent didn’t want to fight him. His debut came later, when he was still large at 238 pounds and won handily.

“People call it one of the best fights in MCC history,” he said.

Then, he took some time away from MMA, partially because of the death of a close friend. When Schmauss returned, he did so hoping to honor him.

To do that, he committed himself more to training. He lives in a rural area, which means he often trains on his own, not so much lifting weights anymore but unique drills and exercises he hopes can build his explosiveness.

By the time he arrived for his second fight, he was down to the 205-pound division, though he felt he maintained his striking power, which he said might surprise some.

“I trained my ass off,” he said. “I was supposed to fight a boxer, and then six days before the fight, they changed it to a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. All I could do was what I planned before.”

His victory led to hunger for more competition, so he asked MCC to set him up with as difficult a fight as possible. That came this past month with a victory Schmauss hopes can propel him into more opportunities.

“People (I train with) can see I’m growing, and I can tell the difference the training is having,” he said. “I’m already 32, so I want to try to do as much as I can because I definitely have the confidence in myself.”

Award-winning newspaper reporter Kyle Nagel is the lead features writer for MMAjunkie.com. His weekly “Fight Path” column focuses on the circumstances that led fighters to a profession in MMA. Know a fighter with an interesting story? Email us at news [at] mmajunkie.com.